Congressman Neguse Statement on Final Passage of Three-Bill Fiscal Year 2026 Minibus

Washington, D.C. — Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse released the following statement after the Senate voted on final passage of the Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS); Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, 2026. While Rep. Neguse succeeded in protecting funding for vital programs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), he ultimately voted against the three funding bills in the House as a result of their omission of statutory language he proposed — on a bipartisan basis — to prevent the Trump administration’s reported plans to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado.  

Neguse has forcefully condemned the White House’s attacks on the nation’s leading scientific research center, calling them reckless, dangerous, and blatantly retaliatory. During a House Rules Committee hearing last week, he filed an amendment to reiterate sustained federal support for NCAR. House Republicans rejected the amendment by a 7-3 vote. 

“Colorado’s research institutes and laboratories are central to the fabric of our state and our nation, and I’m deeply grateful to the colleagues who joined me in pushing back against the Trump administration’s attacks on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Center for Atmospheric Research. While I’m proud that we succeeded in ensuring the CJS funding bill rolled back dangerous cuts to NOAA — preventing irreversible harm to critical programs — I could not, in good faith, support legislation that fails to safeguard the extraordinary work being done at NCAR. Dismantling this institution would be reckless, dangerous and place the United States at a serious competitive disadvantage. I urge the Trump administration to heed our bipartisan call for a halt to their attacks on this vital institution — and I’ll continue to work with Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper and the bipartisan coalition we’ve built to protect NCAR,” said Congressman Neguse.  

At the end of last year, Neguse spearheaded a bipartisan effort with Republican Congressman Jeff Hurd (CO-03) and Colorado Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, urging congressional appropriators to prevent NCAR’s dismantling and protect its core capabilities. Their effort was supported by a coalition of nearly 100 lawmakers from both the House and Senate. 

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